


Annie

by boredomsMuse



Series: October Prompts [4]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Enemies to Friends, Gen, Ghosts, Mention of Death, Mentions of Near Death Experiences, Witch - Freeform, Witches, ghost - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:27:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26834449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boredomsMuse/pseuds/boredomsMuse
Summary: Annie watches the ship passengers with a small frown on her face, curled up in one of the empty deck chairs.  There are a lot of them.  Empty deck chairs, that is.  There aren’t a lot of passengers.  Just five, sitting silent in a loose circle.
Series: October Prompts [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951741
Kudos: 6





	Annie

**Author's Note:**

> Day 4: **Witch** /Skeleton
> 
> No skeleton wars for me this month, I decided to go with ghost. This story is also set in the Jessie Maytix series, although at a much, much later point than Nota.
> 
> Matching artwork on insta, see [this list of links](https://linktr.ee/kailsmusings) for that
> 
> Please Enjoy

Annie watches the ship passengers with a small frown on her face, curled up in one of the empty deck chairs. There are a lot of them. Empty deck chairs, that is. There aren’t a lot of passengers. Just five, sitting silent in a loose circle. 

They’ve been silent all day.

Annie hates it.

A year ago this boat was crowded, full of students excited for the school holidays. The people Annie’s watching were hidden away in the bowels of the ship, laughing and playing card games like Don’t Explode and Go Fish (the magical kind). There had been tension there, how could there not be when Jessie had almost died? But that tension had been outweighed by relief.

Things are different this year.

Except, Annie thinks with morbid amusement, there also not  _ that _ different. Jessie almost died a few days ago and now they’re sitting with someone they don’t usually get along with. It’s not quite the same. Last year Jessie didn’t have a black eye, and Annie doesn’t think Nayte is going to slip into their friend group the way Rune did. Still, it’s pretty similar.

Except, last year, they all escaped death. Breathless and terrified and exhausted, but alive.

This year things are different.

“We should take a photo.” Mira decides, the fog fading from her eyes. It’s replaced by a determination and she stands, fishing her phone from her pocket.

“A photo?” Peach repeats, voice quiet and eyes still trained on the ground. This year has hit her the hardest.

“Like we did at the start of last year, remember?” Mira elbroates. She’s found her phone now and is quickly opening it up.

“Why?” Rune frowns. 

“Because…” Mira stumbles, her new determination stumbling. “I just… I don’t want to forget this.” She finishes, all but whispering.

“I do.” Jessie says, talking into his knees. His silver eyes have never looked so empty and Annie wants nothing more than to hug him and promise that it’s all going to be okay. 

“We shouldn’t forget this.” Mira rephrases. “I want to remember that… that she’s not here. Not anymore. It’s only fair, isn’t it? That we don’t forget her?” She sounds unsure now, fidgeting with her phone. Silence returns to the deck once more, making Mira’s shoulder rise as her stress grows. Finally, Rune shifts.

“I get it.” He says. “It’s like… we came to school with her but we’re not leaving with her. And if we don’t acknowledge that it’s like…” He gestures, trying to come up with the word.

“Like we’re leaving her behind.” Peach finishes.

“Exactly.” Mira says, shoulders relaxing. “So?”

“Okay.” Jessie agrees, taking a deep breath. He doesn’t look like he wants to, but the others are all looking at him, waiting for a response. “Okay, let’s uh, let’s take a photo.”

“Do you want me to take it?” Nayte offers, shifting into a less curled-up position. He’s an outsider to their grief, an outsider in their friendship. Normally he’s not even nice to them. But this year things are different.

“You know how to use a phone?” Mira asks, eyebrow raised. The confusion isn’t unwarranted. Like Rune and Peach, Nayte had been born into magic, and Rune and Peach hadn’t even known what a phone was last year.

“Of course I know how to use a phone.” Nayte huffs, tone defensive before he pauses. It takes an obvious effort to untense his shoulders. “I went to a magicless primary school.” He admits. It’s not much of an admission. At least not to this group, half of whom were raised magicless and all of whom don’t care. But to Nayte’s friends it would be a point of mockery, a stain on his carefully crafted image.

Mira holds out the phone, her expression soft even though she can’t manage a smile. “Thank you.” She says before quickly adding, “for taking the photo.” Nayte shrugs one shoulder, not meeting her eyes as he takes the device.

They all move for the photo, leaning mostly against each other as they get into frame. Annie takes a place in the back and when the photo is taken, she’s the only one smiling. 

“What’s wrong?” Mira asks, when Nayte frowns at the photo he’s taken. 

“Nothing.” Nayte says, looking up to meet Annie’s eyes. 

“Tell them I’m okay.” Annie requests, smiling at him. Nayte continues to stare, eyes narrowing, and Annie’s smile turns sadder. He can’t see her. Looking down at the photo, Nayte shakes his head before handing the phone back to Mira. 

“We miss you Annie.” Mira whispers to the photo. She can’t see Annie hovering in the back, still in her druid’s uniform. Nayte could see her in the photo, Annie’s sure, and maybe one day he’ll see her watching over them. Powers like that can develop over time, Death told her. Jessie might see her one day too. He could see her now if he tried, but he’s not ready.

Annie hopes that by the time they can see her, if they ever do, they won’t need her to tell them it’s okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Bet you didin't notice that I changed it up to [ list of links](https://linktr.ee/kailsmusings), haha, but now you have.


End file.
